“A healthy body is a guest-chamber for the soul; a sick body is a prison.” ~Francis Bacon

There are a million different advertisements nowadays, from pills that will help you drop 30 pounds quick to face wash that doesn’t have a single ingredient you’ve heard of. All in all, it’s difficult to find ways to keep your body and mind healthy, without all those nasty chemicals and artificial ingredients that make you feel wrong anyways.

3 Steps to a Naturally Healthier You

So if you are looking for ways to get healthy through natural, good for you products, here are 3 key steps to a healthy lifestyle:

1. Treat Your Body Well If You Want to Be Healthy

We all know that dieting and a focus on eating the right foods for your body are essential to feeling like a better you. But are there certain foods that will make you feel better than others? Several studies have shown that certain foods, like leafy greens or turkey breast, make us feel significantly better than other foods. It’s because these types of foods produce chemicals in our brains like dopamine that make us feel good and sometimes even stress-free.

“Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind, and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions, the gates of the soul open.” ~B.K.S. Iyengar

Beyond just choosing the right foods, you also need to make sure the produce you are ingesting won’t be harmful to your body. The organic movement was popularized for just this reason, as the pesticides we saw so often on our produce started to make people realize that perhaps unnecessary chemicals were doing more harm than good. Although the evidence that organic foods have a significant impact on health is limited, many people still live by the organic life and preach the sometimes more nutritious and safe alternative.

2. Discover Natural Remedies

You’ve probably at one point had a grandma try to convince you that your prescription cupboard could easily be replaced by a good cup of tea. But should you believe her? It’s proven that a lot of common illnesses, like the cold or flu, can be prevented and treated by at home remedies.

Cures for the common cold generally involve soothing one’s throat and providing nutrients that will help get your immune system back up to fight off bugs. A popular one is Apple Cider Vinegar, which is perfect for soothing a sore throat and burning away harmful bacteria. Ginger and honey are also great combos for getting better faster. Ginger root tea is a popular choice, and a quick addition of a teaspoon of honey and a spritz of lemon juice will get you back on your feet in no time.

How do you prevent a cold altogether? An obvious first step is to get lots of sleep, frequently hydrate, and treat yourself well in general. Other good ideas are natural vitamin D supplements or increasing your intake of vitamin D rich foods (fatty fish, milk, etc.).

3. Check Your Labels

Reviewing and understanding your nutritional information labels on the food you’re eating is extra important for living a healthy lifestyle. It can sometimes be overwhelming how many ingredients a single granola bar can have, let alone understand what each of them means. A couple of fast rules is to avoid trans fats and anything containing hydrogenated oil and you’ll start making the better decision already. If you’re sensitive to high blood pressure, you’ll want to keep away from high sodium content, with the typical cut-off being 805 milligrams.

You also want to make sure the things you’re eating have a certain amount of good elements too. Look out for fiber content in carb-heavy foods as well as protein to supplement your diet the rest of the day.

Overall, the key to a healthier life is to take special care of the things you’re eating, choose natural remedies over store bought pills, and actually understand what your labels are telling you. Soon enough you’ll be that much closer to a more natural life.

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Jose Leon

Jose Leon is a Reiki Master Teacher and Registered Massage Therapist based in Vancouver, BC. He has over 16 years of experience as an educator and practitioner of energy healing and healthy lifestyle living. Jose currently runs Reiki sessions and classes at his own practice, which you can learn more about on his website www.joseleon-reiki-rmt.com